Index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25
The Calusari
"They are the Calusari. In Romania, they are responsible for the correct observance of sacred rites."
Written by Sara B. Charno
Directed by Michael Vejar
Directed by Michael Vejar
"The evil that is here has always been. It has gone by different names through history - Cain, Lucifer, Hitler. It does not care if it kills one boy or a million men. If you try to stop us, the blood will be on your hands."
— Head Calusari
Mulder and Scully investigate the death of a child who was killed following after a balloon that floated onto some railway tracks — moving against the wind.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Religion: Real life Calusari are ritualistic Romanian folk dancers, not a kind of priest.
- Badass Preacher: The Caluşari. Also a Badass Crew.
- Balloon of Doom: Little Teddy, while secured in a safety leash, wanders away from his mom to follow a balloon all the way from the public restroom to the train track. Mulder and Scully study a picture. They notice that the balloon was moving in the opposite direction of the wind and realize that Teddy was led to the train tracks.
- Creepy Child: Charlie, as you would expect of any child who is being haunted by his Evil Twin. He is far exceeded by the physical manifestation of Michael, though.
- Death of a Child: Teddy was just a two-year old boy and he died during a teaser. His mother has lost another child before that.
- Enhance Button: Sort of, with the photo from the funfair. Pressing a few buttons and applying a few filters apparently produces proof of a ghostly presence.
- Evil Is Petty: When back in the Holvey house, Charlie purposefully needles his mother about the death of his brother Teddy.
- Evil Twin: Charlie's twin Michael died at birth, and is essentially haunting the living brother, killing people around them.
- Good All Along: Grandmother and the Caluşari. Grandmother was suspected of abusing the kid, but she was just trying to separate the evil twin from her grandson.
- Hollywood Exorcism: All the boxes are checked. At the hospital, the Caluşari and Mulder restrain Charlie, who yells and screams. There is a boiling pot nearby, chanting, slime running down the walls, the bed levitates, and Charlie's eyes roll back in his head.
- Ironic Name: Charlie's stillborn twin is named for the archangel that cast out Satan.
- Münchausen Syndrome: Scully initially suspects this is the case, with the grandmother being the perpetrator.
- Ritual Magic: Golda wants to perform a ritual to separate "Michael" from Charlie, so she enlists the Caluşari to help with the ritual. Maggie interrupts them but Golda grabs Charlie and pulls him into her room to finish the ritual. She is attacked by something and is found dead later.
- Sequel Hook: While holding down Charlie, Mulder looks the snarling devil child straight in the eyes. He's warned by the Caluşari to be careful in the future, because the devil now knows him.
- Social Services Does Not Exist: Averted. Scully thinks they need to get Charlie away from his family (specifically his grandmother). Karen Kosseff, an FBI therapist who appears in several episodes, tries talking to Charlie.
- Spooky Photographs: A digitally enhanced photograph shows a blur leading the balloon that lures Teddy towards the train tracks. It's the "spectral snap" type of the trope.
"It is over, for now. But you must be careful. It knows you."
